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Our top 10 favorite veggie meals.

After writing our “skip it” list, a reader suggested I write a post about some of the meatless meals we eat. I thought it was a great idea and talked with Josh to come up with a list of our favorite go to vegetarian meals. Each meal is linked back to the recipe (if applicable) so you can try them out for yourself. Enjoy!

I actually stray quite a bit from Rachael Ray’s recipe and skip out on the parsnips, horseradish, eggs, and mushrooms, and add cauliflower, corn and whatever other veggies I feel like throwing in. This is such a comfort food and is a staple loved by all of us.

This I make by layering two flour tortillas with refried beans and cheese on each layer. Fill in and cover with whatever you want – corn, salsa, diced tomatoes, diced onions, extra beans, more cheese, etc. Bake until everything is warm and the cheese is gooey and serve with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, etc. Yum!

Josh makes the best homemade pizza dough. Actually, he is the king of all things baked. They say you’re either a cook or a baker and I am most definitely NOT a baker but Josh makes up for my downfalls in the kitchen. Anyway, his recipe begins with putting half a tablespoon of yeast and a teaspoon of sugar in 3/4 cup of warm water. After the yeast is activated, he combines the yeast/water mixture with two cups of flour in the Kitchenaid mixer and combines it slowly using the dough hook attachment. After it’s mixed a little he adds in a pinch of salt, two more cups of flour and another cup of water. He then continues to mix everything together until it forms into a soft non sticky ball (add more flour or more water accordingly). Next, he covers the bowl with the dough still in it, with a kitchen towel and allows it to rise in a warm place until it doubles in size. Then he rolls the dough out onto a baking sheet and covers it in tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and whatever veggies we may want to top it with. He bakes it at 500 degrees for no specified time (he just watches it).

8. Caulibroc mac n cheese:I don’t have a recipe for this because like most of my dishes, I just eye ball everything but here’s what I do.

Start by cooking your choice pasta and steaming a head of broccoli and a head of cauliflower. Preheat the oven to 425. Next, make a béchamel sauce by melting a couple tablespoons of butter, browning some minced garlic in the butter and then sprinkling a little flour over it and whisking it all together until it thickens. Add in a cup or so (sorry for the very unspecific amounts!) of whole milk (or veggie broth) and continue whisking until everything is nice and smooth. Finally, whisk in a cup or two of shredded cheddar and a cup or two of shredded gruyere. Continue to whisk and cook until the cheese is fully melted and you’re left with your nice creamy béchamel. Lastly, mix the pasta, broccoli, cauliflower and sauce all into a baking dish and bake uncovered for about 15 minutes.

Cut one eggplant into “steaks”. Bread each steak by first coating each steak in flour, then dipping in beaten egg, then covering in a breading mixture of your choice (I use panko, garlic salt, salt, oregano, basil and a little ground flax). Fry in safflower oil until just lightly browned and crispy and then place on a baking sheet. Cover each eggplant steak in marinara and mozzarella cheese and then bake on 450 or place under the broiler until the cheese melts. Serve over pasta and marinara with a salad on the side.